Person:Elias Conley (1)

_DCAUSE: Erysipelas/Old Age Source:

_PHOTO:

Elias was a brickmaker and farmer, and once lived near Parsons VA (Eileen Conley Peters). Elias was living away from home in 1830, likely working for another individual. In 1841 in Preston County, he and brother, William, apparently bought goods from a John H. Bennett and a James L. Bierbridge. They did not pay the bill and a warrant for Elias' arrest was issured in 1843. The debt was fourteen dollars and 98 cents plus a Justice-of-the-Peace bill of 1 dollar and 16 cents. They did not bring in money to pay the bill, but instead brought in a two-horse wagon and one "ginny." (See scrapbook)

In August 1852, Elias was paid $670 for right-of-way for the Kingwood and West Union Turnpike. This section connected Kingwood to Morgantown. (Annual Report of the Board of Public Works to the General Assembly of Virginia)

In 1852, William purchased land from John R. Stone for $400 and a "brick house in Kingwood worth $1500." The land was initially purchased by Stone from Samuel Snider on 10/20/1849. Elias sold a portion of this property to Abner Ravenscroft on 1/3/1854 for $3000. (PC Land Deeds, book 25, page 269) On 9/14/1870, he deeded the rest of the land to the PC Board of Education. (PC Land Deeds, Book 30, Page 494)

In September 1860, Elias and his family was living in Valley District with a land value of $600 and personal wealth of $1300. (1860 US Census)

On 8/21/1863, Elias acquired 300 acres of land along Dillon's Creek from his brother, Washington. (1863 Preston Co. Land Book). Elias first appeared in the 1870 Census of Preston County in Valley Township. At that time, he was noted to have wealth: Land: $1200, personal property: $300.

In December 1864, under the newly enacted Income Tax after the Civil War, Elias was assessed 40 cents each for 3 slaughtered animals totaling $1.20. (Ancestry.com)

Elias was living in Kingwood during 1867 and operated a brickyard. According to the PC Journal on 5/4/1867: "Elias Conley to make 150,000 bricks for Smith Crane, Esq., for home by October. Mr. Crane plans to build a two-story brick building adjacent to the Courthouse for offices, and a two-story brick building on the lot adjoining his own for Charles M. Bishop of Rowlesburg, who intends on making this his home."

PC Journal 6/1/1867: "Our enterprizing citizens, A. B. Menear and Elias Conly, have got fairly underway in the manufacture of brick. Should the weather continue favorable, they will turn out an average of perhaps 2000 per day at each yard. The clay is very good and the brick appear to be the finest we have seen for many days."

In 1872, Elias had 300 acres of land on Dillon's Creek, 8 miles Northwest of Kingwood. (1872 PC Land Book) This was the above-noted land acquired from his brother, Washington; and, according to Truman and Josephine Brown, Elias' home in Valley District was located in a rural area between Indian Rocks and Masontown, WV. The 1870 Census of Valley Township lists Elias living next to his mother and his sister-in-law Elizabeth, widow of his brother, Washington Abraham. His brother, William, was living on the other side of his mother.

Hear-say evidence states that Elias was buried in the old Fortney Cemetery across from the present-day Bethlehem Church. No records or gravemarkers have been found to substantiate this fact. His cause of death was Erysipelas, which he apparently suffered from on a chronic basis since he was listed as having this problem in the 1880 Census. (PC Death Records).

1. ↑ Oren F. Morton. History of Preston County. (Name: Journal Publishing Company, Kingwood, WV 1914;).
2. ↑ Preston County Death Records.